CHINA has deployed a far-reaching anti-ship ballistic missile after a US warship was accused of operating in the disputed South China Sea.

China’s DF-26, the anti-ship ballistic missile, has been mobilised to Northwest China’s plateau and desert areas, according to Chinese state media publication The Global Times. The announcement of the deployment comes after a US warship sailed near disputed islands in the South China Sea on Monday. The new generation of intermediate-range ballistic missiles are capable of targeting medium and large ships at sea.